Hipeters



gttni gaat @esegua-M @met i .PI-L1. SGI-IOPB, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. Letters Patent No. 86,699, dated Februar/ry 9, 1869.

APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING SKATERS AND INVALIDS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of .the same.

Be it known that I, PH. I. SGHOPP, of Louisville, in

the county of Jefferson, and State of Kentucky, have The supporting-sleigh is constructed of the follow ing parts:

aI c', two beams, meeting diagonally, connected by hinge h, thus forming au acute angle, and kept apart by a horizontal brace, b, the opposite ends of the beams to be far enough apart to afford room for the motions ofthe skater, o1' operator. On these beams rest `the inclined bearers c c c" c.. These bearers, forming an acute angle with the -beams a a, are fastened to them by hinges, h' h" h hm', assisted by keys k 7." y Y rIhey cross each other, and are kept together' by screw-bolts, d d. l, They are kept apart principally by a horizontal brace, b.

Ou the upper end, they are provided with a slit.

Restin g ou both upper ends of th ose bearers', and kept toit by adjustable screw-bolts, is the cross-piece e, also provided with a slit.

By the means of those slits, and in connection with the screw-bolts, the Vcross-piece e can be adjusted, by the person operating, to the most convenient height.

Attached by the screw-bolts d d" to the main bearers c ,are the horizontal pieces, ff.

From these pieces, across the frame,strong cloth, or a net-work of ropes may be stretched, to form a seatfor one or more persons. To keep the seat steady, iron hooks are provided.

The horizontal pieces g g' serve partly as braces to the bearers, principally as supports to the arms of the seated person.

The cross-piece c' serves, also, to keep the bearerssteady; principally, it is intended asa support to the feet o'f the`seated person.

The beams a a' are provided with shifting-rollers, to facilitate the motion in every direction. Part of the beams, in f1-ont, are covered with iron plates, to overcome friction on ice. Y

The seat may be dispensed with, at pleasure.

Thewhole may either be built of stron g wood, (hinges and screws to be of iron,) or entirely of Wrought-iron, in proportions and 'sizes to suit persons of different ages.

For convenient transportation and storage, the pieces of the frame are so arranged as to be folded upon, or alongside of each other.

Whenever the frame is set up, and it should be desired to fold the same, the mode of operation is as fcllows:

'bearers c c c First, the cloth, or net-work, stretched across, is to be untied at the one side next to one of the horizontal pieces ff.

Second, pieces g g to top of bearers c c Third, horizontal piece f turned alongside of bearer c.

be unhooked, and placed on Fourth, the cross-piece i to be turned on top of bearer c.

Fifth, the cross-piecee to be unscrewed on one side, and to be turned on top of bearer c. J`sixth, the horizontal .brace b' to be unhcoked, and

placed alongside the beam c.

Seventh, the horizontal brace b to be unhooked, and turned alongside 'of beam a. Eighth, keys lek to be turned parallel to the long sides of.' the beams.

Ninth, the horizontal beams partly to ,be turned on ltheir hinge.

Tenth, the inclined bearers c c are then to be lifted, turned on their hinges, and laid atly on top of the beams dal Eleventh, the cloth to be Wrapped around the frame, and the whole to be kept together by leather strips.

The usefulness of my invention is manifold.

First, itis intended as a support for young skaters, especially for ladies. In this case, the seat may be dispensed with, and the entire frame constructed so light as to be easily carried along to the skatingpond.

Second, in combination with its character as a support to the skater, it may be used as a pleasure-sleigh, with the seat attached, and constructed of suicient strength to bear one or more persons in its seat.- When used on the ice, the front rollers are dispensed with.

Third, with four rollers attached, it may be sed in the rink by roller-skaters.

Fourth, it may also be used in hospitals, or in the.

sick-room, .for invalids, or convalescent persons, to be wheeled about in the open air. When its further use is no longer required, it can easily be' stored away Without taking in much space. Its principal use, however, will; be on the ice. To afford a better opportunity to follow the graceful movements of the skater, and yield to the slightest pressure in any direction, I have adopted in my invention the. triangular form, wit-h the acute angle in front, the' c" being in the same vertical plane with the beams a, a.

By this arrangement, and in combination with the shifting-rollers behind, the skater, or operator, will be enabled to force the supporting-sleigh to yield more easily to his will, and turn the curves easier than with the sleighs atV present in use on the ice. What I claim as new and useful isl.l The combination and arrangement of the derent parts of the frame 'of the supporting-sleigh.

2. Ihe mode of folding compactly the various parts i ofthe frame of the supporting-sleigh.

PH. I. SDHOPI.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. EIOHBAUM, Trios. D. SEDGWICK. 

